


Focus

by jessoyouknow



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: #AllGrownUp, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:09:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessoyouknow/pseuds/jessoyouknow
Summary: In which Manami walks in on him working out. [In which either/both of them lose focus because of each other]
Relationships: Akabane Karma & Okuda Manami, Akabane Karma/Okuda Manami
Comments: 33
Kudos: 198





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stormilys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stormilys/gifts).



> Thank you for helping me finish this piece with your brilliant ideas ♥️

Manami moved into the elevator. His secretary informed her he was living in the suite. Not bad, considering the building was right next to their office. She supposed it was convenient as well. If she had any concerns it would be easy to find him, even during after work hours. When the elevator indicated she had reached the suite floor, she stepped out into the foyer when the doors opened.

And realized she had walked in on him working out.

The music from the speakers was too loud, so he hadn't noticed her standing by the entrance of his suite yet. He stood by the fire place, doing some bicep curls with a pair of dumbbells. Manami felt frozen in place, unable to move. And all she could do was watch.

Karma was wearing a black muscle shirt, matched with a pair of dark jogging pants and what seemed to be combat boots. His back was facing her, and as he switched the workout and lifted the weights above his head, she could visibly see his triceps bulge. Suddenly her mouth felt dry. 

After doing a few more reps with the weights, he set them down. Manami found her chance to call out to him. But before she could even utter his name, he crossed his arms over his shirt. Her eyes widened in alarm as he stripped off the black garment. 

She made a small sound of panic. _What was happening?_ She only came here to inform him of the status of the drug his department recently acquired from her lab. How did it turn into a viewing of his perfect body in the middle of a workout?

She suddenly felt like a peeping tom, feeling small for letting this get out of hand. Her gaze was fixed on him. Dear god, he was doing push-ups now. Even the muscles of his back were perfect.

Karma didn't have the boulder type of body wrestlers did. He wasn't overly shredded like Karasuma-sensei. He wasn’t lanky either, despite his six-foot tall stature. But enough of his muscles were well-defined. Though that was only based on what she’d seen so far, which was his backside. But yes, Manami supposed he was muscular. He was definitely well-built for his height. She could only wonder what the front looked like… 

"Okuda-san."

His deep voice brought her out of her reverie. She blinked. Had she been mindlessly staring? She didn’t even notice he had finished with the push-ups and was standing in front of her. Mortified, she let out a small squeak, bringing her palms to her flushed cheeks. Her eyes flew to meet his, which were characteristically brimming with mischief.

He smirked. "See something you like?"

She was about to respond when he took a step towards her. Automatically she took a step back. He continued to stalk towards her, a hunter on the prowl. She, his delectable prey, continued to back up. When she felt her back hit the wall, she knew she was dead. 

Lifting a hand and bracing it on the wall next to her face, he brought his face closer to her. Wanting desperately to avoid his dangerous gaze, she looked down. 

Only to realize she'd made the horrible mistake of looking at his bare chest, which was glistening with sweat. 

Tearing her gaze away from his chest, she peered up at him once again. She watched a bead of sweat trail down from his damp mop of hair to the side of his face, dropping from the angle of his jaw. She suddenly found it hard to breathe. Her lips were dry, so she darted her tongue out to moisten them. 

His eyes darkened, his lips forming a frown. "Don't do that."

She blinked. "Do what?"

"What you just did." 

She searched his eyes. "Why?"

He took her chin between two long fingers, tilting her face closer to him. "You're not ready to know the answer to that question, Okuda-san."

Her brows furrowed. "You don't know that." 

The corner of his mouth tilted up. "Trust me, I do." 

She felt like sulking. What did he mean by that? She understood human bodily reactions. She knew of how men and women interact when there was attraction between them. Granted, she may not have much personal experience when it came to relationships, but she was well aware of the workings of them.

Before she could tell him so, he pulled away from her, but kept his hand braced on the wall. "So what brings you here? I doubt you came here for a free show of my workout regimen." He raised an eyebrow. "Unless..."

"I didn't!" She flushed. "I-I came here to let you know that the drug you ordered from my lab has been approved by my superiors. We can start the clinical trials next month."

He grinned. “That’s good to hear.”

He moved away from her to walk towards a gym bench she hadn’t noticed was there. _Of course you wouldn’t notice, you were too busy staring at the delicious piece of red-haired morsel doing push-ups on the floor._ She watched him pick up a towel to wipe off the sweat in his face, leaving it to hang around his neck. When he turned to face her again, she realized the whole front of his topless upper body was now exposed to her.

“You’ll update me on the status of every phase of those trials, right?” He asked, his voice suddenly serious.

Oh, they’ll be talking about work now. _Thank god._ It was as if the lines of his abdomen were taunting her: _Like what you see?_ She shook her head, as if to clear her thoughts. Pulling out her phone, she opened her calendar to check on the schedule of the clinical trials they’d plotted for the next year.

She adjusted her glasses. “Yes, of course. We’ll start Phase One next month, hopefully. Takebayashi-kun’s people are in charge of recruiting the volunteers, so I’ll be coordinating with him.”

He’d begun to stretch his arms over his head. “And Phase Two? What’s your proposed date for that?”

The movement further emphasized the pectoral and abdominal muscles she was desperately trying to avert her eyes from. Were those the “V” lines she’d heard about from Kurahashi when she gushed over Karasuma-sensei’s body?

After taking three deep breaths, Manami looked to the ceiling. For what? A distraction? Divine intervention? A lightning bolt to strike her because she deserved it? For the supreme being of the universe to forgive her for the malicious thoughts she was beginning to have about her friend – her _friend since middle school_? Mumbling a prayer of absolution, she glanced back at Karma.

Only to find him staring at her, all in his half-naked glory, arms akimbo, his eyebrow raised. 

Feeling the heat flush into her cheeks, Manami diverted her gaze, suddenly finding interest his carpeted floor. Seriously, was he not ashamed of being so openly displayed in front of a colleague? Well, technically since she was working _for_ him at the moment she supposed she was his subordinate. _Even more shameful!_

“Uh,” she tried to clear her now very dry throat. “Depending on the results of Phase One, we’re hoping to start with Phase Two after around six months.”

He stretched his right arm across his chest, and she caught a glimpse of the lines demarcating his biceps from his deltoid before she shifted her eyes back to her phone.

“Remind me again what Phase Two is about? I haven’t fully read the proposal your boss sent me the other day,” he said casually. He proceeded to stretch his left arm.

Was it just her or was it getting warmer? She was beginning to feel the perspiration around her body. Willing herself to focus on the question he’d asked, she took a deep breath. “Phase Two is when we start the clinical trials with actual patients who have the disease. In the case of the drug you requested, we’re looking at patients with hypertension.”

He grunted, prompting her to look back at him. Once again, she realized her horrible mistake. He’d begun to stretch his triceps, raising his arm up and pulling at his elbow. Why wasn’t he embarrassed at all about his state of undress in the presence of his subordinate? _This is not normal!_ Exasperated, she squirmed, then decided to focus her gaze at the bench where his towel had been earlier.

“Mmm, that’s to test for the… what again?” he asked lazily.

“The efficacy of the drug. This is where we’ll begin using placebos as well.”

“Ah, I think I remember now. This is the critical phase, right?”

“Yes.” Great, the heat must’ve caused her glasses to fog up. She took them off, wiping the lenses with the hem of her top. She missed how Karma’s gaze swiftly deviated to the area of skin she unknowingly exposed with the movement. Placing her glasses back, she felt a little more confident to face him now. “I’ll be supervising this part with Takebayashi-kun because this is where we have the highest rate of drug failures.”

“I see.” She watched him saunter towards the mini fridge behind the gym bench. _Really? Couldn’t be bothered to put on a shirt? Okay then._ He pulled out a bottle of water. As he took a gulp, her eyes followed the movement of his Adam’s apple. Suddenly she felt the urge to grab his water and pour it all over her. This heat was becoming unbearable. 

After another sip, he faced her. “And Phase Three?”

She bit her lower lip. This part she was hesitant about. “That will have to depend on the success of Phase Two. Once we clear it, we can proceed with Phase Three, which will be more tedious and time-consuming.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. _Did she do something wrong?_ Then he used one end of the towel around his neck to wipe at the sweat in his forehead and temple. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there, then. I expect constant updates on this project. Patent application approval usually takes a while.”

She sighed. “I’m aware of that. It’s an average of five years, maybe longer.”

“That’s where I come in,” he smirked. “So don’t worry too much about it and just focus on your clinical trials.”

She sent him a grateful smile. “Alright.”

He did one final stretch, arching his back as he reached for the ceiling, unaware of the frown she directed at him. _For the love of god, please put on a shirt._ Now even his V lines were mocking her: _All you have to do is say ‘please.’_ It took all her willpower not to follow the lines down to where they ended underneath the jogging pa –

“Well, I appreciate you coming all the way here to tell me all that, Okuda-san.” He grinned at her. “Even if I’m pretty sure it could’ve been done via e-mail.”

She blinked, realizing that possibility could’ve spared her from the sensual torture she just endured. Refusing to be embarrassed any further, Manami opted for honesty.

“I just thought that,” she began, fiddling with her phone. “It was a good excuse to come see you.”

Karma’s eyes widened in surprise. For a moment she thought she saw something flash in his eyes. But before she could even try to identify what it was, his grin melted into an affectionate smile. He buried his hands in the front pockets of his pants. “You know you can come see me anytime, Okuda-san.”

She lit up. “Really?”

“Absolutely. In fact,” he stalked towards her again, leaning forward and letting his face stop mere inches from hers. “You’re welcome to spar with me next time if you want.” His voice became husky, his eyes darkening.

Crimson tint spread from her cheeks to her ears and neck. She knew he was teasing her. She knew the moment his eyes shone with mischief as he stared at her. She was torn. While she placed much respect to the serious bureaucrat boss he’d become, she was overwhelmed by the realization of how much she missed seeing this side of him. Playful, devious Karma. This was the Karma she’d grown up with, the one she’d felt most comfortable with back in middle school, and she his trusty confidant and partner-in-crime.

Yet she couldn’t help but squirm under his fervent gaze. For some reason she felt there was something else hidden there she’d yet to explore with him. Why did she feel like she was going to spontaneously combust when he looked at her like that?

Gathering what was left of her dignity, she huffed at him. “Th-then, I’ll get going now! See you tomorrow, Karma-kun!”

And with that she sprinted out of his suite. 

* * *

Karma let out the laugh he’d been holding in.

He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been so entertained. And by Okuda of all people. Watching her struggle to focus on discussing work while avoiding looking at him was just priceless.

She was just too cute, all flustered and embarrassed.

He’d known she was there the moment she stepped out of the elevator. After all, hers had always been a presence he was constantly on the lookout for. Also he heard her little squeak when he took off his shirt.

He was beginning to feel bad he did all of those in front of her intentionally. He’d already finished looking over the proposal her superior sent him the night before. He figured letting her discuss everything would prolong their time together. And to give him more chances of playing with her.

Recalling her flushed expression, he decided he wasn’t at all remorseful.

Returning his bottled water and taking out a Gatorade from his mini fridge, he took a sip. The memory of her tongue moistening her dry lips flashed in his mind. And the patch of white, smooth skin he’d caught a glimpse of when she cleaned her glasses with her shirt. Then that lip bite. With a frown, he took a gulp of his drink.

She was obviously unaware of the effect her actions had on him. While her eyes told him she wanted to know exactly that, he knew it simply wasn’t possible to show her yet. She just wasn’t ready. Though it would be interesting to see how things would turn out if – _when_ – she was. He smirked.

She mentioned Phase Three was going to be time-consuming. He was counting on it. But first he’d have to make sure the first two phases would go by smoothly.

He was certainly looking forward to working with her in the following months to come. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally intended for this piece to be a oneshot, but the feedback I got made me want to write another chapter lol. This is my thanks for supporting the work, and of course for loving our Karmanami ship.

Karma was in the middle of scanning some documents when she arrived. His head tilted up when he heard the knock. "Yes?"

The familiar voice was muffled behind the large oak door. "It's me."

His grin was automatic. "Come in, Okuda-san."

He returned to skimming through the papers on his table while the door opened. He heard the clicking of her heels as she made her way to him. Even as he sensed her presence in front of him, he began to make notes on some of the reports.

"I'm here with the latest updates on the Phase 2 data, Karma-kun."

He continued to scribble on the documents, flipping through some of them then back, nodding as she spoke. "That's good. You've been making progress, then?"

"So far, yes." He heard the smile in her voice as he spun the pen in his hand between his fingers.

"Alright." He signed one more contract before shifting to another and returning to his pen spinning. "Anything else?"

"Ah, yes. We need your signature in some of these proposals here, to give us the go signal for the beginning procedures for Phase 3."

"Sure." He looked up at her then. And fumbled with his pen. The click of its fall on the table echoed throughout the office.

Karma blinked. "Okuda-san?"

She was searching for the documents she needed him to sign in the envelope she clutched to her chest. The first thing that struck him was her hair. No braids. Just dark, straight hair flowing down her back, neatly kept by a brown headband. This was definitely a first for him, seeing her like this. Before he could decide whether he liked or loved it, her head tilted up to face him.

"Hmm?"

Now he had an even better view of her, especially since she was facing him, her amethyst eyes behind her glasses inquisitive. What struck him next was her simple yet elegant outfit. She had on a silk beige V-neck blouse, not too revealing, but not quite conservative either.

_Certainly enough to leave something to the imagination._

Realizing the dangerous path his mind had begun to take, he stroked his fingers over his lips in an attempt to hide his embarrassment for his thoughts. Although thinking of her in that way wasn't new to him – he'd spent years trying not to but failed anyway – seeing how innocent she (still) was kept him from acting on it. The timing just wasn't right yet.

But his devil of a self just wouldn't stop. He took in the sight in front of him.

Okuda's beige blouse was tucked into a black pencil skirt that ended right above her knees, her legs looking longer with modest black heels, all highlighting her slim figure despite the long white coat she wore over her entire outfit. She looked just like any of the other female scientists that roamed their basement laboratory, stick-like figures and dull-looking.

_Yet why did she look so damn attractive to him?_

Feeling a sudden lump in his throat, Karma reached up to loosen the knot of his tie.

"Umm, are you alright, Karma-kun?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'm fine. Uh, you were going to make me sign something?"

"Oh, yes!" She pulled out a pile of papers from the envelope and held them out to him.

An idea popped into his head. As he took the documents from her, he brushed his fingers along hers, a subtle yet solid contact, testing. When she quickly drew her arm away, Karma smirked. _Okay, at least he wasn't the only one who felt the jolt_.

He decided to feign innocence. "Something wrong, Okuda-san?"

Avoiding his gaze, she tucked her hands in the pockets of her lab coat, her cheeks once again colored with faint red. "I-It's nothing."

It's ridiculous how she managed to look alluring and adorable at the same time while blushing like that. Biting his lip to keep himself from smirking (because she would surely feel offended by that), he began to scan the first of five proposals she handed him. If he kept his eyes on her he wouldn't be able get anything else done. Not that he had a problem with keeping her in his office.

He shook his head. _Now is not the time for thoughts like that._ He picked up the pen he dropped.

"So fill me in on what’s been happening in Phase 2."

It was fascinating to watch how the blush faded mildly while a smile of excitement spread across her face. “Absolutely!”

She pulled out a tablet from the envelope and began to tap on it. "The last of the trials for Phase 2 went smoothly. Compared to the previous ones, we've noted lower rates of drug discontinuation of as a result of side effects in both the placebo group and those being treated with hypertension. Takebayashi-kun and I were able to compile the numbers and analyze them by...”

He stopped skimming through the proposals and watched her go on with her report, leaning his chin on the heel of his palm. He hid his smile behind his fist, his eyes brimming with affection.

He could never get tired of watching her do what she did best, especially when she spoke so passionately of the work she loved and enjoyed.

It’s as if they’d gone back to being middle schoolers in the laboratory after school hours. Her rambling on about the chemicals she mixed for his pranks, him sitting across from her listening in admiration. He never had a problem following her – he usually ranked among the top 5 in Class E when it came to Science – he simply enjoyed watching her do what she did.

“Karma-kun?”

He blinked, his eyes widening when her face was suddenly inches away from his. She waved a hand in front of him. He abruptly pulled himself back.

Dragging a hand over his face, he shook his head to clear his thoughts. He couldn’t believe he’d gotten so distracted he hadn’t noticed her come near him.

“Ah, sorry about that, Okuda-san. I was listening, don’t worry.”

She straightened up, then chuckled. “It’s fine. I just got worried coz you looked like you were spacing out.”

He gave her a look. “Was not.”

She laughed. “Sure.”

“Wanna bet?”

She hummed. “Not really. I believe you when you said you were listening.”

“Your tone tells me you really don’t.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “You dare mock me, Okuda-san?”

She laughed again. “I’m not!”

“Let’s bet on it then. If I can recite the data of the drug discontinuation for patients who experienced side effects in the placebo group and hypertension group, you buy me dinner Friday next week.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “And if you can’t?”

Karma grinned. “Then I’ll buy you dinner Friday next week.”

It was her turn to narrow her eyes at him. “Why do I get the feeling that no matter what happens, I still lose?”

“Who knows, what if I’m bluffing?”

She gave him a look. “Like I’d be dumb enough to call a bluff by Akabane Karma.”

He leaned back in his office chair, placing his hands over his abdomen. “I never took you for a coward when it came to wagers, Okuda-san. I’m quite surprised.” 

She tilted her head to the side, raising her fist to her hip. “And I know you use that kind of talk to manipulate your subordinates so you can get them to do what you want, _Akabane-san_.”

Just like that, he was floored. When had she become so witty and unafraid to talk back at people? And who gave her the permission to know him so well?

Feeling the excitement of a challenge, he smirked. “And technically speaking, aren’t _you_ my subordinate, Okuda-san?”

There was a moment of silence, a few seconds of calculating amethyst eyes staring at confident golden ones. When she frowned at him, he knew the scales had begun to tilt in his favor. “I am.”

His smirked widened into a smile of victory. “And?”

Still clutching the envelope and tablet in one hand, she crossed her arms over her chest. “And I still think I’m walking into some sort of trap here.”

“You just don’t want to admit you’re scared to have dinner with me.”

When her eyes widened, he knew he had her. And when she began to fumble with her words, his confidence skyrocketed. It took all his willpower to keep himself from standing up, walking around the table, grabbing her face and pulling her in for the kiss he’d been wanting to give her since the day she walked in on him working out at his suite.

“Th-Then, tell me all the numbers of the data I mentioned a while ago,” she said, her eyebrows furrowed. Her tone was so hushed he almost didn’t hear her. He didn’t miss the fact she failed to respond to his last comment either.

She almost looked like she was sulking. It appalled him how she could easily shift from the bold, sexy woman to the shy, pouting one in front of him, and he still wanted to hug her.

He shifted in his seat, leaning forward and placing his elbows on the table, cradling his chin on his intertwined fingers. He glanced at her for a moment, feeling a warmth spread through his chest as she stood before him, unsure of what to expect from him.

Then he returned to signing the rest of the proposals she gave him. “The rates of drug discontinuation as a result of adverse effects were 11% for patients in the placebo group, versus 8% in the antihypertensive group. This is compared to the last trial, which yielded 20% for the placebo group, 14% for the antihypertensive group. Excellent analysis work from yours and Takebayashi’s team by the way, Okuda-san.”

When he was done with the papers, he looked up to see her face. Her eyes were wide, her jaw halfway open. Unable to resist any longer, Karma stood. Making his way around the table and finally standing before her, he shoved his hands into his front pockets and smiled down at her.

“You ready to buy me dinner next week, Okuda-san?”

She looked up at him, her expression unreadable. Without turning away from her, he reached behind him with one hand to take the proposals he’d just signed. As he handed them to her, he leaned in, his lips only inches away from her ear.

“Keep your hair down like this on our date, okay? It looks good on you.”

When the warmth spread through her cheeks, he chuckled. She timidly took the papers from him and gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”

He pulled away from her to lean against his table. “If there’s nothing else you need from me, you may take your leave now, Okuda-san.”

As she bowed her thanks, he turned to go back to his seat. Before he could even take the first step, he felt a pull at his arm. He barely had the time to react when he felt her lips graze his cheek.

“S-See you next week, Karma-kun.” And then she was gone.

Stunned and alone in his office, he lifted a hand to his cheek. _Where the hell did that come from?_ And when did she learn to do that? A million more questions popped into his head before he realized he was grinning like an idiot. The timing was finally right. _Well damn._

Looks like he’ll have to send Takebayashi coupons for his favorite maid cafe as thanks for sending him all the Phase 2 data the night before.

++

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Karma. I didn't expect Manami to do that either lol. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

"You did _what_?"

Manami pulled the phone away from her ear as her friend screeched. The blush she'd been sporting ever since she left – _ran out of_ – Karma's office still spread across her cheeks. She gave herself three deep breaths before she locked herself in her small cubicle in the lab and made the call to her best friend.

"I-It was an impulse! And this is all your fault for telling me to be more impulsive!"

Kayano chuckled. "Sweetie, I believe what I told you was: there’s nothing wrong with acting on your impulses every once in a while. I never told you to kiss the man."

Manami groaned and buried her face in the crook of her arm. "I've done it, haven't I?"

Kayano leaned back in her actor's chair, her script loosely dangling from her fingers as she pressed her phone closer to her ear. "Now, tell me again what it is that you've done exactly?"

"I let him bait me! I knew the dinner thing was a trap the moment he said _'wanna bet on it?'_ and I still fell for it!"

It didn't help that she'd been distracted by the devilish grin he shot at her. No matter how hard she tried to resist, he somehow managed to always lure her into whatever ploy he had going. She shook off the thoughts in her head when she heard her friend's voice again.

"I mean, it's Karma. Did you even at least try to say no?"

She huffed. "I really did. But somehow he's got this... this... _something,_ that just makes you putty in his hands and you're helpless."

"Pretty sure that's how he's always been though.” Kayano smiled to herself. "And yet I wonder how you've suddenly become one of his, err, victims. He never really teased you this much back in middle school."

Manami rubbed at her temple. “He used to tease me, but not like this.”

“Not like how?”

She recalled the time she went to his suite, the mental image of him shirtless doing push-ups once again torturing her. Her mouth suddenly went dry at the memory. She gulped.

“Umm, remember the time when I kinda walked in on him working out and when he saw me he pinned me to the wall and —“

“WAIT, WHAT?”

Manami flinched at how her friend’s voice rose another decibel. “Oh... err, did I not tell you about that?”

“OKUDA MANAMI, we’re meeting up this weekend. I mean it. You have _a lot_ of explaining to do.”

She sighed. She supposed she did. Seeing her best friend would also be a most welcome distraction from the fact that she was going on a date with Karma next week.

* * *

“What have you done this time, Karma?”

The man in question raised an eyebrow at his friend who sat across from him on the bar of his suite. He turned away from to pour himself another glass of scotch on the rocks. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re gonna have to be more specific, Nagisa.”

Nagisa sighed. He picked up his beer bottle and took a swig.

“Kayano told me she’s meeting up with Okuda-san this weekend. Said they had important things to talk about because of some ‘breakthrough’ with Okuda-san’s love life.” He narrowed his eyes at Karma. “And I’m a hundred percent sure you had something to do with it.”

Karma smiled, suddenly remembering the feel of her lips on his cheek. He drank from his glass before setting it down on the table between them. “What makes you think I had anything to do with it?”

“Well, for one you’re smiling. And it’s that rare stupid smile of yours whenever we talk about her.”

“I’ve been crazy about the woman since middle school. Give me a break.”

Nagisa blinked. He'd always known the redhead had a soft spot for her ever since their Class 3-E days. What he never expected was that he'd actually act on it, much less come out with such a straightforward admission. Then again, everything about Karma was unpredictable. Why was he even surprised?

Karma shot him a pointed look before gulping down the rest of his scotch. “And don’t pretend you didn’t know.”

He lifting up his hands in defense. “You said it, not me. I'm just curious as to why you've decided to make your move now," he replied, taking another swig at his beer.

The redhead shrugged. "Timing never seemed right."

"And how was the timing suddenly right?"

Karma thought of Manami, with her hair down and wearing the silk blouse. Of how flustered she was when he'd caught her off guard while reciting the data she didn't know he'd memorized the night before. Of how she gave him that shy smile when he complimented on her hair.

"She was just too cute," he said, smiling to himself.

The two were silent for a while. Nagisa then shifted to look at his friend. "So what's your plan now?"

Karma stared into his empty glass, contemplating on pouring himself another one before turning in for the night. "See where things go, I guess."

Nagisa raised an eyebrow at him. Something suddenly changed in his aura. Gone was the arrogant, smug Karma. Now he looked sullen and uncertain. “You’re nervous.”

Karma gave a weak chuckle. “Well, yeah. You wouldn’t wanna ruin what could possibly be the best thing to ever happen to you, right?”

Nagisa looked down at his beer, thought of Kayano. “You do have a point.”

A pause between the two. Then Karma exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “I'm screwed, aren't I?"

Nagisa wanted to point out he's been screwed since middle school, but he decided against it.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

* * *

"I can't believe he did that!"

Manami felt herself shrink in the corner booth she and Kayano had chosen in the cafe where they'd decided to meet. The embarrassment of telling her about what happened in Karma's suite made her flush. She hid her face in her hands.

"Am I some sort of perverted sex-crazed woman? Surely this kind of reaction isn't normal," she said in a small muffled voice.

She heard her best friend laugh. "I'm not exactly sure about being sex-crazed, but don't worry, that's a pretty normal reaction for someone who's been approached by an extremely sexy man." Kayano propped an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her palm. "I'm surprised you didn't burst into flames."

"I felt like I was going to!" Manami slammed her palms on the table, revealing her bright red face. At Kayano's knowing smile, she sighed. "What's supposed to happen now? I don't even know why Karma-kun did that."

"There's really only one reason why he would."

She blinked, then picked up her glass of iced tea for a sip. "And that is?"

Kayano smirked, crossing her arms on the table and leaning forward. "He's into you."

Manami choked on her drink. "W-What? You can't be serious."

Her best friend raised an eyebrow.

She looked away, annoyed she'd begun to blush again. "F-For all we know he does that to other women too. Maybe he just likes teasing me."

"Hmm, well, I don't know about other women, but I believe we've already established the fact that he's only teased you like this recently. And your reaction's pretty classic too."

She turned to face Kayano, her brows furrowed. "Classic? Of what?"

Her best friend chuckled. "That you're attracted to him too."

Manami gasped. "That's not –" She paused when her friend narrowed her eyes at her. "Okay, maybe you're onto something."

Kayano hid her grin. "So, you're attracted to Karma."

"I-I guess? I mean, that's the only reasonable explanation for everything that's been happening recently."

"But do you like him?"

She blinked again at her friend, not quite sure by what she meant. "He's been our friend since middle school. Of course I like him."

Kayano shook her head. "No, no. Do you _like_ him? Geez, Manami, we're late into our twenties and you still act like we're sixteen." She laughed. "But I'll give you a free pass because you're relatively new to these kinds of stuff. When I say _like_ , I mean in the way that you want to have him all to yourself. That if he tried to do what he did to another woman you'd hate it so much you wanna get mad and scream. That when he takes off his shirt you wanna stop everything and just jump his bones. _That_ kind of like."

Manami stared at her. It was a lot to take in. Frankly, everything they'd been talking about was too much for her brain to process. Her best friend wasn't wrong when she said she was new to all this. She'd had a couple of boyfriends in the past, but neither of them had lasted long nor have progressed any further than second base.

She thought of Karma. Karma with his shirt off. Karma with his signature wolf grin. Karma with his boss aura, all serious while signing contracts. Karma with his shirt off while doing push-ups. Karma with his smirk whenever he teases her. Karma with his eyes darkening when he's close to her. Karma with his shirt off and his abs glistening with sweat.

_Oh god._

She flushed again. This time Kayano didn't hide her grin. "You're thinking of him without his shirt on, aren't you?"

She covered her face with her hands once again. "I'm screwed."

Kayano burst out laughing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been a while. Work's been keeping me busy, but rest assured, I always try to find time for our ship. Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope you liked this one.


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